IMAM SADIQ S FULL INSTRUCTION ON HAJJ
Imam Sadiq (a.s) says: إذَا أَرَدْتَ الحَجَّ فَجَرِّدْ قَلْبَکَ للهِ عَزَّ وجَلَّ مِن قَبْلِ عَزْمِکَ مِن کُلَّ شاغِلٍ وَحَجْبِ کُلِّ حاجِبٍ وفَوِّضْ أُمورَکَ کُلَّها إلى خالِقِکَ وَتَوَکَّلْ عَلَیهِ فی جَمیعِ ما ایَظْهَرُ مِن حَرَکاتِکَ وَسُکونِکَ وَسَلّ
Imam Sadiq (a.s) says: إذَا أَرَدْتَ الحَجَّ فَجَرِّدْ قَلْبَكَ للهِ عَزَّ وجَلَّ مِن قَبْلِ عَزْمِكَ مِن كُلَّ شاغِلٍ وَحَجْبِ كُلِّ حاجِبٍ وفَوِّضْ أُمورَكَ كُلَّها إلى خالِقِكَ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيهِ في جَميعِ ما ايَظْهَرُ مِن حَرَكاتِكَ وَسُكونِكَ وَسَلِّمْ لِقَضائِهِ وَحُكْمِهِ وَقَدَرِهِ وَوَدِّعِ الدُّنيا والرَّاحَةَ والخَلْقَ.
وَاخْرُجْ مِن حُقوقٍ تُلْزِمُكَ مِن جِهَةِ المَخلوقينَ ولا تَعْتَمِدْ عَلى زادِكَ وَراحِلَتِكَ وأصْحابِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ وشَبابِكَ ومالِكَ مخَافَةَ أنْ تَصيرَ لكَ أعداءً وبالاً لِيُعْلَمَ أنّهُ لَيسَ لهُ قُوّةٌ ولا حيلَةٌ ولا لأَحَدٍ إلا بِعِصْمَةِ اللهِ تعَالى وَتَوفيقِهِ.
وَاسْتَعِدَّ استِعْدادَ مَن لا يَرجو الرُّجوعَ وَأَحْسِنِ الصُّحْبَةَ وراعِ أوْقاتَ فَرائِضِ اللهِ تعَالى وَسُنَنَ نَبِيِّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَليهِ وآلهِ وما يَجِبُ عَليكَ مِن الأدَبِ والاحْتِمالِ والصَّبرِ والشُّكْرِ والشَّفَقَةِ والسَّخاءِ واِيثارِ الزّادِ عَلى دَوامِ الأوْقاتِ.
ثمَّ اغْتَسِلْ بمَاءِ التَّوْبَةِ الخالِصَةِ مِنَ الذُّنوبِ وَالْبَسْ كِسْوَةَ الصِّدْقِ والصَّفاءِ والخُضوعِ والخُشوعِ.
وَأَحْرِمْ عَن كُلِّ شَيءٍ يمْنَعُكَ عَن ذِكْرِ اللهِ عزَّ وجَلَّ ويحْجِبُكَ عَن طاعَتِهِ.
وَلَبِّ بمَعنى إِجابَةٍ صافِيَةٍ خالِصَةٍ زاكِيَةٍ للهِ عزَّ وجَلَّ في دَعْوَتِكَ لهُ مُتَمَسِّكاً بِالعُرْوَةِ الوُثقى.
وَاخْرُجْ مِن حُقوقٍ تُلْزِمُكَ مِن جِهَةِ المَخلوقينَ ولا تَعْتَمِدْ عَلى زادِكَ وَراحِلَتِكَ وأصْحابِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ وشَبابِكَ ومالِكَ مخَافَةَ أنْ تَصيرَ لكَ أعداءً وبالاً لِيُعْلَمَ أنّهُ لَيسَ لهُ قُوّةٌ ولا حيلَةٌ ولا لأَحَدٍ إلا بِعِصْمَةِ اللهِ تعَالى وَتَوفيقِهِ.
وَاسْتَعِدَّ استِعْدادَ مَن لا يَرجو الرُّجوعَ وَأَحْسِنِ الصُّحْبَةَ وراعِ أوْقاتَ فَرائِضِ اللهِ تعَالى وَسُنَنَ نَبِيِّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَليهِ وآلهِ وما يَجِبُ عَليكَ مِن الأدَبِ والاحْتِمالِ والصَّبرِ والشُّكْرِ والشَّفَقَةِ والسَّخاءِ واِيثارِ الزّادِ عَلى دَوامِ الأوْقاتِ.
ثمَّ اغْتَسِلْ بمَاءِ التَّوْبَةِ الخالِصَةِ مِنَ الذُّنوبِ وَالْبَسْ كِسْوَةَ الصِّدْقِ والصَّفاءِ والخُضوعِ والخُشوعِ.
وَأَحْرِمْ عَن كُلِّ شَيءٍ يمْنَعُكَ عَن ذِكْرِ اللهِ عزَّ وجَلَّ ويحْجِبُكَ عَن طاعَتِهِ.
وَلَبِّ بمَعنى إِجابَةٍ صافِيَةٍ خالِصَةٍ زاكِيَةٍ للهِ عزَّ وجَلَّ في دَعْوَتِكَ لهُ مُتَمَسِّكاً بِالعُرْوَةِ الوُثقى.
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When you intend to go on Hajj pilgrimage, empty your heart for sake of Allah, Glorified is He, of any preoccupation, which makes you unmindful of Him.
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Entrust all your affairs to the Creator and rely on Him for what you do and you do not. Submit yourself to the divine fate, decision, and destiny. Say farewell to the world, comfort, and people.
Discharge what you owe others. Do not rely on your provision, means of transportation, friends, physical power, youth, and wealth, for Allah may turn all of them as your enemies so that you will know there is no power or option but with Allah without whose assistance no one can succeed.
Then be prepared for Hajj like one who has no hope of returning home. Behave well with the co-travelers. Observe prayer timings and the traditions of the Holy Prophet (saw), perform what is your duty on courtesy, patience, tolerance, gratitude, compassion, generosity, and self-sacrifice all the time.
Then purify yourself with the water of repentance, put on the garment of truthfulness, sincerity, humbleness, and modesty.
Get rid of whatever keeps you away from Allah's remembrance and obedience to Him.
Say Labbayk to Allah with pure, flawless, and chaste heart while you have laid hold on the firmest handle.
Circumambulate the throne with your heart among the angels in the same way as you circumambulate the House with other Muslims.
Perform Harwala (fast pace); that is escape from carnal desires with all your power and strength.
Come out of your ignorance and wrongdoings when leaving Mecca for Mina and never desire what is not lawful or you or not worthy of.
Confess of your wrongdoings in Arafat, renew your covenant with Allah, Exalted is He, on His Oneness and approach Him.
Fear Him Muzdalifah and make your soul ascend to heaven by climbing up the mountain.
Cut the throat of carnal desires and greed by offering animal sacrifice.
Throw away lust, miserliness, meanness, and all blameworthy acts through Ramy al-Jamarat.
Do away with the internal and external flaws when shaving your head.
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Enter the sanctuary of Allah, Exalted is He, by ridding yourself of all desires when entering the Sacred Precinct.
Visit the House in order to honor its Owner and to know His glory and magnanimity.
Caress the Black Stone while you are content with what He has given you and you have become humble before His greatness.
Say farewell to everything save Allah in the last circumambulation.
Purify your soul and prepare for meeting Allah by staying in Safa.
Be fair-minded and dissolve yourself in Allah's Attributes when you are in Marwa.
Be firm on and faithful to the pledge you have given to Allah by which you have performed your Hajj until the Day of Judgment.
Be it known to you that what the reason Allah has made Hajj obligatory and has allocated it to Himself by saying, �� and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, upon every one who is able to undertake the journey to it. (The Holy Quran; 3:97),� and the Holy Prophet (saw) has devised its rites in this way, is to remind us of death, grave, being raised to life, and the Day of Judgment.1
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1 See Misbah ash-Sharia; section 21
2 الدُّنيا مَتْجَرُ أَولِياءِ اللهِ؛ اِكتَسَبوا فِيها الرَّحمَةَ وَرَبحُوا فِيها الجَنَّةَ
3 See Nahjul Balagha; sermon 130.
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inspiration from Mecca, goes through spiritual changes, attains the knowledge of God, gives positive response to God's call, returns to Mecca, and takes shelter in the Kaaba and appreciates his kind mother for all the blessings given to him.
Not only does man start his intellectual and spiritual journey from Mecca so as to reach perfection, but also the earth started moving from the Kaaba in the course of perfection. Imam Sadiq (a.s) says: إنَّ اللهَ عزّ وجَلَّ دَحا الأرْضَ مِن تحْتِ الكَعْبَةِ إلى مِنى، ثمَّ دَحاها مِن مِنى إلى عَرَفاتٍ، ثمَّ دَحاها مِن عَرَفاتٍ إلى مِنى.
�Surely, Allah the Honorable the Glorified stimulated the earth from beneath the Kaaba towards Mina and then from Mina towards Arafat and therefrom towards Mina.�1
In the previous hadith, Imam Sadiq (a.s) used the Arabic word 'daha' as the main verb of the statement. This word, however, has many indications. It may means 'to stimulate', 'to expand', 'to put into motion', 'to drive', or 'to roll'.2 If we throw a ball on the ground, we will see that it will have both rotation and transitional movement. This meaning of 'daha' is compatible with rotational and transitional movement of the earth as held by astrologers. Therefore, the earth in its rotational movement starts moving from the Kaaba towards the eastern points. Interestingly, both Mina and Arafat are located on the eastern side. Hence, the earth rotates from the Kaaba and completes its rotation in that point. 3
From what we have said, it is inferred that the earth too performs the Hajj rites willingly: فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلأَرْضِ ائْتِيا طَوْعاً أَوْ كَرْهَاً قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ.
�Then He (the Lord) directed Himself to the heaven and it is a vapor, so He said to it and to the earth: Come both, willingly or unwillingly. They both said: We come willingly. (The Holy Quran; 41:11)� وَالأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا. أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا. وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا. مَتَاعاً لَكُمْ وَلأَنْعَامِكُمْ.
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1 See al-Kafi; vol. 4 section Hajj, p. 189, hadith 3
2 See al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'aan; vol. 20 p.292
3 See ash-Shehristani's al-Hay'atu wa'l-Islam
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�And the earth, He expanded it after that. He brought forth from it its water and its pasturage. And the mountains, He made them firm, a provision for you and for your cattle. (The Holy Quran; 79:30-3)�
These Quranic Verses implicitly say: O man, be aware! In the same way that the earth moves eastward in the course of perfection, you to must start your intellectual and spiritual journey towards the Orient of knowledge of God from the Kaaba.
The Hajj rites are analogous to different stages of man's life. A man when born is like a traveler who has entered the 'Mecca' of the world after traversing the loins of fathers and wombs of mothers, suffering many hardships in his path but he has not yet reached the so-called Miqat. When he reaches puberty and maturity, he has entered Miqat; hence, he should put on Ihram and become duty-bound before God, give positive response to God's call and observe what is lawful and what is unlawful until he completes the Hajj-like stages of his life. The leader of the caravan of Hajj is a prophet or imam throughout history. Today too, the leader of this caravan is Imam Mahdi (a.s) and each of us is engaged in performing one stage of the Hajj rites.
Some of us have entered the 'Mecca' of this world and are going through childhood. Some others have reached Miqat and they are saying, Labbayk. Some others have gone farther and have settled on Mount Arafat (knowledge of God). Some of us have reached al-Mash'ar, that is, we have reached the highest degree of insight and intellectual in a way we will say: يَا دُنيا يَا دُنْيا، إِلَيْكِ عَنِّي، أَإِلّيَّ تَعَرَّضْتِ أَمْ إِلَيَّ تَشَوَّقْتِ؟ هَيهاتَ، غُرِّي غَيْرِي. فَقَدْ طَلَّقْتُكِ ثَلاثاً لا رَجْعَةَ فِيها.
O world, O world, Get away from me. Why do you present yourself to me? Or are you eager for me? You may not get that opportunity to impress me. Deceive some other persons. I have no concern with you. I have divorced you thrice whereafter there is no restitution.1
Others have gone through this stage and have rushed to place of sacrifice, that is, they have sacrificed this world for sake of God. By caressing the Black Stone and through the love of God, they have reached the highest degree of pleasure in the universe. Some people too have completed their Hajj rites or are in the last stage of their life
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1 This statement is Imam Ali's. See Nahjul Balagha; saying 77
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and in the throes of death. They are waiting to see the result of their Hajj (deeds), failure or success. There are those who are buried in graves, though purgatory, and another caravan has settled in their tent performing their Hajj.
وَطُفْ بِقَلبِكَ مَعَ المَلائِكَةِ حَولَ العَرْشِ كَطَوافِكَ مَعَ المُسلِمينَ بِنفْسِكَ حَولَ البَيتِ.
وَهَرْوِلْ هَرْوَلَةً مِنْ هَواكَ وَتَبَرُّؤاً مِن جَميعِ حَوْلِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ.
وَاخْرُجْ مِن غَفْلَتِكَ وزَلاّتِكَ بخُروجِكَ إلى مِنى وَلا تَمَنَّ ما لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ولا تَسْتَحِقُّهُ.
وَاعْتَرِفْ بِالخَطَأِ بِالعَرَفاتِ وَجَدِّدْ عَهْدَكَ عِنْدَ اللهِ تعَالى بِوَحْدانِيَّتِهِ وَتَقَرَّبْ إلَيْهِ.
وَاتَّقْهِ بمُزدَلِفَةَ واصْعَدْ بِروحِكَ إلى المَلأِ الأعْلى بِصُعودِكَ إلى الجَبَلِ.
وَاذْبَحْ حَنْجَرَةَ الهَوَى والطَّمَعِ عِنْدَ الذَّبيحَةِ.
وَارْمِ الشَّهَواتِ والخَساسَةَ والدَّناءَةَ والأَفْعالَ الذَّميمَةَ عِنْدَ رَمْيِ الجَمَراتِ.
وَاحْلِقِ العُيُوبَ الظّاهِرَةَ والباطِنََةَ بحَلْقِ رَأْسِكَ.
وَادْخُلْ في أَمانِ اللهِ تعَالى وكَنَفِهِ وَسِتْرِهِ وَكَلائِهِ مِن مُتابَعَةِ مُرادِكَ بِدُخولِ الحَرَمِ.
وَزُرِ البَيْتَ مُتَحَقِّقاً لِتَعْظيمِ صاحِبِهِ وَمَعْرِفَتِهِ وَجَلالِهِ وَسُلْطانِهِ.
وَاسْتَلِمِ الحَجَرَ رِضىً بِقِسْمَتِهِ وَخُضوعاً لِعَظَمَتِهِ.
وَوَدِّعْ ما سِواهُ بِطَوافِ الوَداعِ.
وَصَفِّ روحَكَ وَسِرَّكَ لِلِقاءِ اللهِ تعَالى يَومَ تَلْقاهُ بِوُقوفِكَ عَلى الصَّفا.
وَكُنْ ذا مُرُوَّةٍ مِنَ الله بِفَناءِ أوْصافِكَ عِنْدَ المَرْوَةِ.
وَاسْتَقِمْ عَلى شُروطِ حِجَّتِكَ وَوَفاءِ عَهْدِكَ الّذي عاهَدْتَ رَبَّكَ وَأَوجَبْتَهُ لهُ إلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ.
وَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللهَ لم يَفتَرِضِ الحَجَّ ولم يخُصَّهُ مِن جَميعِ الطّاعاتِ بالإِضافَةِ إلى نَفْسِهِ بِقَولهِ تَعالى: " وَللهِ عَلى النّاسِ حِجُّ البَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطاعَ إِليهِ سَبيلاً" وَلا شَرَعَ نَبِيُّهُ صَلّى اللهُ عَليهِ وآلهِ في خِلالِ المَناسِكِ عَلى تَرتيبِ ما شَرَعَهُ إلا لِلاسْتِعدادِ والإِشارَةِ إلى المَوتِ والقَبرِ والبَعْثِ وَالقِيامَةِ وَفَضْلِ بَيانِ السِّبْقِ مِن دُخولِ الجَنَّةِ أهْلَها ودُخولِ النّارِ أهْلَها بمُشاهَدَةِ مَناسِكِ الحَجِّ مِن أوَّلهَا إلى آخِرِها ِلأولي الألْبابِ وأولِي النُّهى.
وَهَرْوِلْ هَرْوَلَةً مِنْ هَواكَ وَتَبَرُّؤاً مِن جَميعِ حَوْلِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ.
وَاخْرُجْ مِن غَفْلَتِكَ وزَلاّتِكَ بخُروجِكَ إلى مِنى وَلا تَمَنَّ ما لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ولا تَسْتَحِقُّهُ.
وَاعْتَرِفْ بِالخَطَأِ بِالعَرَفاتِ وَجَدِّدْ عَهْدَكَ عِنْدَ اللهِ تعَالى بِوَحْدانِيَّتِهِ وَتَقَرَّبْ إلَيْهِ.
وَاتَّقْهِ بمُزدَلِفَةَ واصْعَدْ بِروحِكَ إلى المَلأِ الأعْلى بِصُعودِكَ إلى الجَبَلِ.
وَاذْبَحْ حَنْجَرَةَ الهَوَى والطَّمَعِ عِنْدَ الذَّبيحَةِ.
وَارْمِ الشَّهَواتِ والخَساسَةَ والدَّناءَةَ والأَفْعالَ الذَّميمَةَ عِنْدَ رَمْيِ الجَمَراتِ.
وَاحْلِقِ العُيُوبَ الظّاهِرَةَ والباطِنََةَ بحَلْقِ رَأْسِكَ.
وَادْخُلْ في أَمانِ اللهِ تعَالى وكَنَفِهِ وَسِتْرِهِ وَكَلائِهِ مِن مُتابَعَةِ مُرادِكَ بِدُخولِ الحَرَمِ.
وَزُرِ البَيْتَ مُتَحَقِّقاً لِتَعْظيمِ صاحِبِهِ وَمَعْرِفَتِهِ وَجَلالِهِ وَسُلْطانِهِ.
وَاسْتَلِمِ الحَجَرَ رِضىً بِقِسْمَتِهِ وَخُضوعاً لِعَظَمَتِهِ.
وَوَدِّعْ ما سِواهُ بِطَوافِ الوَداعِ.
وَصَفِّ روحَكَ وَسِرَّكَ لِلِقاءِ اللهِ تعَالى يَومَ تَلْقاهُ بِوُقوفِكَ عَلى الصَّفا.
وَكُنْ ذا مُرُوَّةٍ مِنَ الله بِفَناءِ أوْصافِكَ عِنْدَ المَرْوَةِ.
وَاسْتَقِمْ عَلى شُروطِ حِجَّتِكَ وَوَفاءِ عَهْدِكَ الّذي عاهَدْتَ رَبَّكَ وَأَوجَبْتَهُ لهُ إلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ.
وَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللهَ لم يَفتَرِضِ الحَجَّ ولم يخُصَّهُ مِن جَميعِ الطّاعاتِ بالإِضافَةِ إلى نَفْسِهِ بِقَولهِ تَعالى: " وَللهِ عَلى النّاسِ حِجُّ البَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطاعَ إِليهِ سَبيلاً" وَلا شَرَعَ نَبِيُّهُ صَلّى اللهُ عَليهِ وآلهِ في خِلالِ المَناسِكِ عَلى تَرتيبِ ما شَرَعَهُ إلا لِلاسْتِعدادِ والإِشارَةِ إلى المَوتِ والقَبرِ والبَعْثِ وَالقِيامَةِ وَفَضْلِ بَيانِ السِّبْقِ مِن دُخولِ الجَنَّةِ أهْلَها ودُخولِ النّارِ أهْلَها بمُشاهَدَةِ مَناسِكِ الحَجِّ مِن أوَّلهَا إلى آخِرِها ِلأولي الألْبابِ وأولِي النُّهى.
When you intend to go on Hajj pilgrimage, empty your heart for sake of Allah, Glorified is He, of any preoccupation, which makes you unmindful of Him.
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Entrust all your affairs to the Creator and rely on Him for what you do and you do not. Submit yourself to the divine fate, decision, and destiny. Say farewell to the world, comfort, and people.
Discharge what you owe others. Do not rely on your provision, means of transportation, friends, physical power, youth, and wealth, for Allah may turn all of them as your enemies so that you will know there is no power or option but with Allah without whose assistance no one can succeed.
Then be prepared for Hajj like one who has no hope of returning home. Behave well with the co-travelers. Observe prayer timings and the traditions of the Holy Prophet (saw), perform what is your duty on courtesy, patience, tolerance, gratitude, compassion, generosity, and self-sacrifice all the time.
Then purify yourself with the water of repentance, put on the garment of truthfulness, sincerity, humbleness, and modesty.
Get rid of whatever keeps you away from Allah's remembrance and obedience to Him.
Say Labbayk to Allah with pure, flawless, and chaste heart while you have laid hold on the firmest handle.
Circumambulate the throne with your heart among the angels in the same way as you circumambulate the House with other Muslims.
Perform Harwala (fast pace); that is escape from carnal desires with all your power and strength.
Come out of your ignorance and wrongdoings when leaving Mecca for Mina and never desire what is not lawful or you or not worthy of.
Confess of your wrongdoings in Arafat, renew your covenant with Allah, Exalted is He, on His Oneness and approach Him.
Fear Him Muzdalifah and make your soul ascend to heaven by climbing up the mountain.
Cut the throat of carnal desires and greed by offering animal sacrifice.
Throw away lust, miserliness, meanness, and all blameworthy acts through Ramy al-Jamarat.
Do away with the internal and external flaws when shaving your head.
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Enter the sanctuary of Allah, Exalted is He, by ridding yourself of all desires when entering the Sacred Precinct.
Visit the House in order to honor its Owner and to know His glory and magnanimity.
Caress the Black Stone while you are content with what He has given you and you have become humble before His greatness.
Say farewell to everything save Allah in the last circumambulation.
Purify your soul and prepare for meeting Allah by staying in Safa.
Be fair-minded and dissolve yourself in Allah's Attributes when you are in Marwa.
Be firm on and faithful to the pledge you have given to Allah by which you have performed your Hajj until the Day of Judgment.
Be it known to you that what the reason Allah has made Hajj obligatory and has allocated it to Himself by saying, �� and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, upon every one who is able to undertake the journey to it. (The Holy Quran; 3:97),� and the Holy Prophet (saw) has devised its rites in this way, is to remind us of death, grave, being raised to life, and the Day of Judgment.1
AN ANALOGY BETWEEN MAN'S LIFE AND THE HAJJ RITES
A precise study of the philosophy of the Hajj rites reveals that man's whole life is like full Hajj. The Hajj rites are symbols of different stages of a wise man's life. Islam says: O man, you are a traveler who has come to the 'Mecca' of this world to perform the Hajj rites. This world is a seventy-eight year old place of circumambulation. Like Mecca, this world can lead you to Paradise. It is, in the words of Imam Ali (a.s), �the marketing place for those devoted to Allah. Herein they earned mercy and herein they acquire Paradise by way of profit.�2 Mecca is the mother of cities and the Holy Quran is the founder of human civilizations and culture in its real sense. Man derives____________
1 See Misbah ash-Sharia; section 21
2 الدُّنيا مَتْجَرُ أَولِياءِ اللهِ؛ اِكتَسَبوا فِيها الرَّحمَةَ وَرَبحُوا فِيها الجَنَّةَ
3 See Nahjul Balagha; sermon 130.
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inspiration from Mecca, goes through spiritual changes, attains the knowledge of God, gives positive response to God's call, returns to Mecca, and takes shelter in the Kaaba and appreciates his kind mother for all the blessings given to him.
Not only does man start his intellectual and spiritual journey from Mecca so as to reach perfection, but also the earth started moving from the Kaaba in the course of perfection. Imam Sadiq (a.s) says: إنَّ اللهَ عزّ وجَلَّ دَحا الأرْضَ مِن تحْتِ الكَعْبَةِ إلى مِنى، ثمَّ دَحاها مِن مِنى إلى عَرَفاتٍ، ثمَّ دَحاها مِن عَرَفاتٍ إلى مِنى.
�Surely, Allah the Honorable the Glorified stimulated the earth from beneath the Kaaba towards Mina and then from Mina towards Arafat and therefrom towards Mina.�1
In the previous hadith, Imam Sadiq (a.s) used the Arabic word 'daha' as the main verb of the statement. This word, however, has many indications. It may means 'to stimulate', 'to expand', 'to put into motion', 'to drive', or 'to roll'.2 If we throw a ball on the ground, we will see that it will have both rotation and transitional movement. This meaning of 'daha' is compatible with rotational and transitional movement of the earth as held by astrologers. Therefore, the earth in its rotational movement starts moving from the Kaaba towards the eastern points. Interestingly, both Mina and Arafat are located on the eastern side. Hence, the earth rotates from the Kaaba and completes its rotation in that point. 3
From what we have said, it is inferred that the earth too performs the Hajj rites willingly: فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلأَرْضِ ائْتِيا طَوْعاً أَوْ كَرْهَاً قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ.
�Then He (the Lord) directed Himself to the heaven and it is a vapor, so He said to it and to the earth: Come both, willingly or unwillingly. They both said: We come willingly. (The Holy Quran; 41:11)� وَالأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا. أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا. وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا. مَتَاعاً لَكُمْ وَلأَنْعَامِكُمْ.
____________
1 See al-Kafi; vol. 4 section Hajj, p. 189, hadith 3
2 See al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'aan; vol. 20 p.292
3 See ash-Shehristani's al-Hay'atu wa'l-Islam
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�And the earth, He expanded it after that. He brought forth from it its water and its pasturage. And the mountains, He made them firm, a provision for you and for your cattle. (The Holy Quran; 79:30-3)�
These Quranic Verses implicitly say: O man, be aware! In the same way that the earth moves eastward in the course of perfection, you to must start your intellectual and spiritual journey towards the Orient of knowledge of God from the Kaaba.
The Hajj rites are analogous to different stages of man's life. A man when born is like a traveler who has entered the 'Mecca' of the world after traversing the loins of fathers and wombs of mothers, suffering many hardships in his path but he has not yet reached the so-called Miqat. When he reaches puberty and maturity, he has entered Miqat; hence, he should put on Ihram and become duty-bound before God, give positive response to God's call and observe what is lawful and what is unlawful until he completes the Hajj-like stages of his life. The leader of the caravan of Hajj is a prophet or imam throughout history. Today too, the leader of this caravan is Imam Mahdi (a.s) and each of us is engaged in performing one stage of the Hajj rites.
Some of us have entered the 'Mecca' of this world and are going through childhood. Some others have reached Miqat and they are saying, Labbayk. Some others have gone farther and have settled on Mount Arafat (knowledge of God). Some of us have reached al-Mash'ar, that is, we have reached the highest degree of insight and intellectual in a way we will say: يَا دُنيا يَا دُنْيا، إِلَيْكِ عَنِّي، أَإِلّيَّ تَعَرَّضْتِ أَمْ إِلَيَّ تَشَوَّقْتِ؟ هَيهاتَ، غُرِّي غَيْرِي. فَقَدْ طَلَّقْتُكِ ثَلاثاً لا رَجْعَةَ فِيها.
O world, O world, Get away from me. Why do you present yourself to me? Or are you eager for me? You may not get that opportunity to impress me. Deceive some other persons. I have no concern with you. I have divorced you thrice whereafter there is no restitution.1
Others have gone through this stage and have rushed to place of sacrifice, that is, they have sacrificed this world for sake of God. By caressing the Black Stone and through the love of God, they have reached the highest degree of pleasure in the universe. Some people too have completed their Hajj rites or are in the last stage of their life
____________
1 This statement is Imam Ali's. See Nahjul Balagha; saying 77
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and in the throes of death. They are waiting to see the result of their Hajj (deeds), failure or success. There are those who are buried in graves, though purgatory, and another caravan has settled in their tent performing their Hajj.